DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45581#0106
Der il-Kahf
147
courses of the south wall undoubtedly belonged to a small temple; for fragments of
columns, and other classic details, are incorporated with the later walls of the chapel.
Such a temple might have been built within the fortress in connection with the cult
of the emperor or emperors at the time of the building operations here recorded by
the inscription of the year 306 A.D. It was most probably converted into a church
shortly before, or during, the period of work under Valentinian, between the years
367 and 375. There can be little doubt that the plan and superstructure of the for-
tress as we have them today belong entirely to the fourth century ; but it is not easy
to distinguish between the parts of the work accomplished under Constantine and those
completed under Valentinian; for the undertaking was hardly extensive enough to have
continued for sixty years. The earliest inscription is that upon the lintel of the entrance
which is on the main axis of the building, which indicates that the present scheme of
the fortress was completed, or at least undertaken, when the inscription was set up.
On one side of this entrance are the walls with a mixture of draughted and smooth
quadrated blocks in them (Ill. 128); on the other side are walls entirely of the ordinary
rough quadrated work, in which all the rest of the fortress, with the exception of the
southeast angle, was built. The outer walls, and the walls of the towers, are from
1.30 m. to 1.40 m. in thickness; the dividing walls of the interior are about 90 cm. thick.
It is my opinion that in 306 A.D. the great quadrangle was added to an older fort,
in draughted masonry, that stood where the southeast angle of the present fortress is,
that sixty years later this old fort was destroyed and that the southeast angle was
rebuilt in its present shape, which differs from that of the other angles, out of the old
materials, and at this time the inscription of Valentinian, Valens and Gratian was set
up. If a square be drawn, using for two sides the portions of the walls in which
mixed materials were used, we shall have a rectangle about 30 m. square in the south-
east angle of the fortress, just as we find an older fort about 18 m. square in the
northwest angle of the fortress at Koser il-Hallabat (Ill. 55). The entrance of the
new fortress was placed at the north end of the east wall of the old fort; a new wall
was built north of the entrance, equal in length to the side of the old fort, and the
area of the new fortress was thus made four times that of the original building. In
Valentinian’s reign the old fort was taken down and its draughted blocks of stone
were used with newly cut blocks in rebuilding the walls of the southwest angle of the
new fortress on a plan somewhat different from the rest of the building.
The spaces between the towers were divided into three square compartments each;
these were in two stories and were again divided by transverse walls, and not by
arches in the usual manner. The ground stories of the square towers were divided
by walls composed of mangers, and served as stables; the mangers were six in number
and were double so that twelve horses, standing head to head, could be accomodated
in each. The two upper stories of the towers were in some cases divided by trans-
verse walls, in others by arches. Eliminating the eastern half of the south wall where
there was an open space and a long narrow apartment, which may have been a mess
room, a stable, or a store-house, there are seven groups of three rooms in two stories,
and five towers in three stories each, making 57 rooms; each of which was divided
into two compartments, each about 5.50 m. long and from 2.30 to 2.75 m. deep, or
114 compartments. Fourteen of these may be taken for stables and officers quarters,
leaving 100 barrack rooms, in each of which, allowing .55 m. to a man (a rather
147
courses of the south wall undoubtedly belonged to a small temple; for fragments of
columns, and other classic details, are incorporated with the later walls of the chapel.
Such a temple might have been built within the fortress in connection with the cult
of the emperor or emperors at the time of the building operations here recorded by
the inscription of the year 306 A.D. It was most probably converted into a church
shortly before, or during, the period of work under Valentinian, between the years
367 and 375. There can be little doubt that the plan and superstructure of the for-
tress as we have them today belong entirely to the fourth century ; but it is not easy
to distinguish between the parts of the work accomplished under Constantine and those
completed under Valentinian; for the undertaking was hardly extensive enough to have
continued for sixty years. The earliest inscription is that upon the lintel of the entrance
which is on the main axis of the building, which indicates that the present scheme of
the fortress was completed, or at least undertaken, when the inscription was set up.
On one side of this entrance are the walls with a mixture of draughted and smooth
quadrated blocks in them (Ill. 128); on the other side are walls entirely of the ordinary
rough quadrated work, in which all the rest of the fortress, with the exception of the
southeast angle, was built. The outer walls, and the walls of the towers, are from
1.30 m. to 1.40 m. in thickness; the dividing walls of the interior are about 90 cm. thick.
It is my opinion that in 306 A.D. the great quadrangle was added to an older fort,
in draughted masonry, that stood where the southeast angle of the present fortress is,
that sixty years later this old fort was destroyed and that the southeast angle was
rebuilt in its present shape, which differs from that of the other angles, out of the old
materials, and at this time the inscription of Valentinian, Valens and Gratian was set
up. If a square be drawn, using for two sides the portions of the walls in which
mixed materials were used, we shall have a rectangle about 30 m. square in the south-
east angle of the fortress, just as we find an older fort about 18 m. square in the
northwest angle of the fortress at Koser il-Hallabat (Ill. 55). The entrance of the
new fortress was placed at the north end of the east wall of the old fort; a new wall
was built north of the entrance, equal in length to the side of the old fort, and the
area of the new fortress was thus made four times that of the original building. In
Valentinian’s reign the old fort was taken down and its draughted blocks of stone
were used with newly cut blocks in rebuilding the walls of the southwest angle of the
new fortress on a plan somewhat different from the rest of the building.
The spaces between the towers were divided into three square compartments each;
these were in two stories and were again divided by transverse walls, and not by
arches in the usual manner. The ground stories of the square towers were divided
by walls composed of mangers, and served as stables; the mangers were six in number
and were double so that twelve horses, standing head to head, could be accomodated
in each. The two upper stories of the towers were in some cases divided by trans-
verse walls, in others by arches. Eliminating the eastern half of the south wall where
there was an open space and a long narrow apartment, which may have been a mess
room, a stable, or a store-house, there are seven groups of three rooms in two stories,
and five towers in three stories each, making 57 rooms; each of which was divided
into two compartments, each about 5.50 m. long and from 2.30 to 2.75 m. deep, or
114 compartments. Fourteen of these may be taken for stables and officers quarters,
leaving 100 barrack rooms, in each of which, allowing .55 m. to a man (a rather